This delicious dessert is a perfect example of the Afro-Cuban influence on Gulf coast cooking, combining pineapple, a plantation crop, with yams or sweet potatoes, a West African staple. Ingredients: 2 pounds orange yams, washed, peeled and finely chopped 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 slices fresh pineapple (about 1 1/2″ thick apiece), cored and finely […]
Continue ReadingMention vanilla, and people are apt to think of the ice-cream flavor they select when confronted with a mind-boggling choice involving everything from chirimoya to cheesecake: “just plain vanilla.” What started out as one of the most exotic flavors to be introduced to the European palate has come to be equated with blandness. Even more […]
Continue ReadingThe mountains of northern Puebla and Veracruz are blessed with an abundance of freshwater fish. The combination of fish and pipian is unusual but delicious, and any firm fleshed white fish can be used in this recipe. Use more or less chile seeds, according to taste. Ingredients For the fish: 2 quarts water 2 pounds firm white […]
Continue ReadingThis dish takes advantage of Veracruz’ abundant variety of seafood. It is quite adaptable, in that just about any other kind of seafood or fish can be added, including squid, shelled oysters, clams or mussels. The cazón, or baby shark, used in Veracruz can be substituted with any firm-fleshed white fish. Most fish markets in Mexico sell […]
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Dobladas means “folded,” and these tortillas can be filled or not before folding into quarters, bathed in peanut sauce, and sprinkled with cheese. Ingredients For the dobladas: Vegetable oil for soft frying tortillas 12 six- to eight-inch corn tortillas ½ pound of chicken or pork, cooked and shredded or an equal amount of shredded cheese, if […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most famous street snacks of Veracruz, this puff pastry empanada is flavored with the classic Spanish combination of raisins and olives, with the distinctly Veracruz touch of pickled jalapeños. I think of it as a fish picadillo. You can use any leftover cooked fish, flaked, in place of tuna. If you live in a […]
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Mexican black bean soup with masa balls could easily be a whole meal, accompanied by a salad. A nopales salad or a watercress and spinach salad would both be good choices. Ingredients For the soup: 2 tablespoons lard or oil ½ medium onion 1 roma tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 cups cooked black beans […]
Continue ReadingThis is a basic coastal recipe, adaptable to several different kinds of fish and shellfish. We first tried it in Boca del Rio, Veracruz, but some version of it is on the menu of nearly every seafood restaurant in the country. The stuffing ingredients are not limited to those listed and any combination of seafood […]
Continue ReadingWhen I told Carmen Titita Ramirez, owner of the highly acclaimed El Bajio restaurant in Mexico City, that I would be spending time in Xalapa, she responded with her usual exuberance and proceeded to write a list of regional dishes I had to try and where to try them. Titita was born and raised in […]
Continue ReadingFruit atole is a great morning or late night drink. It can be made with several kinds of fruit, but Veracruz guava atole is my hands-down favorite. The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut the fruit crosswise and scoop them out with a spoon. Ingredients 3 cups water ½ cup piloncillo or dark brown sugar 1 […]
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